Zejtun tragedy road claimed six other lives in past decade

V.Battistino

Aug 30th 2009, 12:32

@ Galea L

there you go again...... 'Speed cameras do not reduce accidents. They are only cash cows.' do you have any scientific proof backing your claim.....road fatalities have been reduced in roads previously notorious for the speed possibility.... According to your expert opinion, speed cameras should therfore be removed ! The only problem with this island is people like you who seem to mistake the wood for the trees ! Yes if need be, cash might be the only deterrent with crazy people driving recklessly and endager other people's life....I would add life bans on such drivers........

@ Ronnie Gauci......install more than one according to the length of the road....i'd rather arrive safely on my wheels then in a hearse ........

and God forbid my family gets involved with some speedster who is crazy enough to endanger our lives on the roads ! I take care in my driving and should not be punished by reckless drivers!

Ronnie Gauci

Aug 30th 2009, 00:52

I have the solution, put one sleeping policeman every twenty metres along this road and problem solved, I provided ADT & Zejtun LC with a solution which should cost them less than a thousand euros and that won't take more than a couple of hours to put in place. Speedcams are useless, they increase the danger because drivers slow down suddenly when they spot the sign and then they just speed up more than before once they are past it.

Joseph Vassallo

Aug 29th 2009, 22:13

Does anyone think a reminder like this http://www.freefoto.com/preview/41-08-8?ffid=41-08-8&k=169+Casualties+Road+Sign might help remind drivers that they are not alone on the road?

Joseph Vassallo

Aug 29th 2009, 22:01

Galea L: I would have to pray, "God give me patience.... NOW!" Unfortunately, I perceive the majority of people who do that as "Old Codgers" who should no longer be in possession of a driving licence because they haven't adapted to the fact that we now have 300,00 vehicles on our roads rather than the 10 or 20,000 that were on the road when they were in their heyday. Seriously though, I see all the things you mention especially unprotected children on a daily basis and constantly worry about it to the point where I have actually rebuked some parents and asked them to strap their child into its seat.

Galea. L

Aug 29th 2009, 20:59

Joseph Vassallo
You are right, but what could you do if they hog the outside lane which is also against regulations and however long you signal them on the car horn or by your lights they still stay on the outside lane of worse between two lanes effectively blocking everyone? These and people having children on their laps or unstrapped on the back seat with half their body outside the windows are what wardens should be looking for not parking.

V Battistino
Speed cameras do not reduce accidents. They are only cash cows.

Joseph Vassallo

Aug 29th 2009, 20:35

Mr Saliba please; overtaking is not a manoeuvre that should be undertaken quickly or easily; it should be done with premeditated caution and care. There is (I believe) only one road with an 80km/h speed limit in Malta but irrespective of that, the people you overtook in your situation were not accelerating but TRAVELLING at 60km/h. I see overtaking on the inside as a daily occurrence in Malta and apart from being dangerous (blindside and all that) it is specifically prohibited by the highway code of every country I have ever driven in including Malta. So you see, it is also irrelevant to say that they have the accelleration of a tortoise.

Joseph Vassallo

Aug 29th 2009, 20:22

A Saliba: Yes, I am aware of all that, my misguided friend; sadly, that is exactly what accelerating out of trouble is; utter nonsense and inexperience. You apparently don't even distinguish between accelerating harder (effort) and accelerating more quickly (velocity). How many fast vehicles have you driven (say 200/400 bhp)? What would you do on a public-road (not racetrack) if faced with an oncoming lorry and no room to manuoevre? Push down your accelerator or hit your brakes and retreat back in line where you should have stayed in the first place since you could not see far enough ahead? Powerful cars are heavier and need to have their weight distributed more evenly on broader tyres with a much larger area of contact with the road. Wake up, (young?) man because you have just let yourself down with your comments and declared yourself unfit for the road. The benefit of a larger powerful car is its ability to stop relatively more quickly (hopefully) and absorb impact with a better chance of survival for its occupants. That is what NCAP rating is all about. But against a rushng train or tanker? No chance.

V Battistino

Aug 29th 2009, 19:29

1. I ask the Zejtun Mayor whether his council has ever applied for speed cameras, or wardens with portable cameras ? When such speed cameras where installed in other localities PL media harped on the issue and on how these added financial burdens and chided the PN mayor of S.Venera and the others for the new installations !!!!

2. If this is a road within the Council's boundary, then the Council can take its own actions first and not blame central authorities for not doing nothing....sleeping policemen, cameras, warden presence etc etc ... or maybe the think that they will become unpopular with the local electorate....

3. Overtaking two cars is unlawful on the road anyway.....

4. More care and discipline and certain 'racing standard' vehicles (including motor bikes) should not be allowed in the street !

5. Finally, tempering with vehicles and making them lethal on the road for speed's sake is also a crime in itself as far as I'm concerned !

Chris Cocker

Aug 29th 2009, 19:10

When is the local council of Zabbar , the government or whoever is responsible resurface the roads surrounding Zabbar especially tac-Cawsli, Garden road and those leading to Cospicua and Bulebel.Today while driving through tac-Cawsli in the heavy rain, I needed a boat or a canoe not a car because the road was flooded.Stop complaining and act.The people of the inner harbour region should be treated like those who live in the northern part of the island.So pls who will start to lead by example?the government or the council?it is more important to pay for the Vrt test and increasing the licence fee rather than constructing our roads.How can we compete with other countries?No wonder why less tourists are visiting Malta.Those who buy new cars are insane because the car will be rather old in 6 months time>We need to buy a war tank.First people die, and then we cry.The government should take full responsibility for the death of he cyclist Cliff Micalled.The bicycle signs are visible wher he was killed but the bike lane is not visible and very narrow and it is almost impossible for a cyclist to ride his bike.

S. Pulis

Aug 29th 2009, 18:30

Il-problema f'Malta tibqa' n-nuqqas ta' dixxiplina li hawn. L-ghorrief li qed jaghtu l-arja lit-tfal wassal biex f'pajjiżna għalliem ma jistax ikellem student, ġenitur ma jistax iwiddeb lil uliedu. Allura kif trid tippretendi li ċ-ċittadini Maltin, speċjalment dawk żgħażagħ, ikunu dixxiplinati minnhom infushom. Ħlejtuh pajjiż bl-iskużi ta' abbuż. Abbuż għax ommi tgħajjat miegħi jew tagħtini kastig (ovvjament meta kont iżgħar)... għall-ġid tiegħi! In-numru 179 qed jintuża bl-addoċċ u Malta nħliet.
Barra minn hekk għandna korp tal-pulizija li onestament nemmen li anqas biss jinħass f'Malta. Ħaż-Żabbar taf meta jidher pulizija? Fil-festa tal-Grazzja... u meta nqala l-inkwiet fl-2004 kulħadd jaf fiex kien irriżulta għax is-sitwazzjoni ma ġietx milqugħa mill-bidu. Xogħol il-pulizija hu li jara li l-liġi qed titħares u mhux iqassam il-vot jew jirrispondi t-telefon f'għassa!?

S Bonnici

Aug 29th 2009, 16:01

To whom it may concern:

Kindly do not forget Marsaskala residents of Triq Sant'Antnin. The sharp bend there is as soon as you pass Razzett tal-Hbiberija.. going in towards M'skala is deadly. I know what im talking about from experience. Cars crashed in our own cars 5 times. 2 years ago our car was smashed and moved 6 metres down the road causing over Lm4500 in damages. 1 year ago our neighbour's car was smashed into total loss. Another neighbour was washing his car and a car smashed in his car (thank god for not hurting him). 2 other neighbours had their front gardens smashed. Only yesterday a car skidded in the opposite direction..... and i could just keep on referring to the tens of accidents that happen in this MAIN ROAD.

This is just a small note about this road St. Anthony Street Marsaskala which lately has been turned into a racing track!!! Whoever is concerned, kindly take notice.

Ray Buhagiar

Aug 29th 2009, 15:05

The problems are:

Too many cars,
Lousy Public Transport
Badly constructed roads.

A .Saliba

Aug 29th 2009, 14:47

Joseph Vassallo, nonsensical remarks, eh? A powerful car can accelerate harder, thereby making for quicker and easier overtaking. I've often found myself in the overtaking lane behind drivers doing 60km/hr in an 80km/hr zone, and not because they're unaware of traffic regulations, but because their car has the acceleration of a tortoise.

O Galea

Aug 29th 2009, 14:40

Sincere condolences to the victim families. So young and many lost aspirations. But that is all what living is all about....it all ends to death.

The question remains on how to die. Contributing to your own death and to ohers through carelessness is bad. Loosing life and property because of others is also spiteful. And then the horrible roads through mismanagement and the uncontrolled huge amount of cars around is sickening. Wake up ADT

Joseph Vassallo

Aug 29th 2009, 14:20

Permit me if you will, just one final suggestion for local councils and the ADT. A cheap way to hopefully cut down risks, taken by drivers in known accident-prone hotspots, is to install reflective road signs indicating the number of accidents and casualties there have been in a particular stretch of road. They might cause drivers to reflect (no pun intended) on their driving.

Joseph Vassallo

Aug 29th 2009, 13:26

@ N Attard below: Sir/madam, the essential reason why roads are safer abroad is that you have a longer view or dual carriageways where it is safer to overtake. Considering the size of these little islands, you have to accept that roads cannot be on the scale of those on the continent or in UK. Believe me, it's not roads that kill people, it's the users who are supposed to understand the driving conditions and adjust their driving intelligently. Try driving on A and B roads in UK, Italy, Germany, France and you will meet similar conditions; but you will only occasionally see the risk-takers that you expect to see here as a matter of course. My greatest regret is that an innocent 3-year-old child and an innocent passenger lost their life apparently because of an error of judgement by the driver who also lost his/her life.

Joseph Vassallo

Aug 29th 2009, 13:11

This was an awful tragedy and unnecessary waste of three young lives. I note from the photograph that there are no lines painted on the road, so who is responsible for that? Overtaking two cars at high speed in a bi-directional carriageway is poor judgement indeed and the driver paid the ultimate price. But I don't honestly believe that lines painted on the road make any difference in Malta. I regularly see vehicles crossing the double white lines on the Burmarrad-Mosta road (both directions day and night) without so much as a thought for oncoming road users' safety. I think this road, combined with drivers' arrogance, will claim more victims sooner or later. I have seen people texting on their phones, overtaking long lines of traffic at high speed, children unrestrained in fast moving vehicles, you name it. The SPB police need to monitor the young (inebriated?) drivers in the Bugibba area who regularly show off and make nuisances of themselves whenever they see a short skirt. They race their engines loudly and burn rubber in an effort to be seen by whomsoever. I'm sure the police can hear all this from their station.

Joseph Vassallo

Aug 29th 2009, 12:46

After reading such nonsensical remarks such as "safer because they take less time to overtake" I have to accept that some people (obviously young and inexperienced) think they know more than they actually know. I say this with the benefit of 50 years of accident-free (touch wood) driving experience in several countries where rules are there to be obeyed and not to be flaunted. However... I am curious as to the absence of tyre marks on the road from the heavy vehicle and as to why, having been declared to be travelling at a snail's pace by the driver of the car behind it, it did not stop immediately the collision occurred rather than continue dragging the smaller car and crushing it against the wall. The condition of the heavy vehicle has to be scrupulously examined with particular attention being given to the brakes and tyres on all its axles. It is also imperative to establish whether the truck was fully loaded, partly loaded or completely empty of any liquid load. If the truck had stopped immediately, the accident might not have been so tragic. For the sake of the victims and truck driver.

N. Attard

Aug 29th 2009, 12:27

I am over 25 and I am not commenting to defend inexperienced drivers. However please stop putting all the blame of accidents on young and inexperenced drivers. I drive both a car and a motorcycle. from experience I have in driving in Malta as well as abroad I can strongly confirm that the main problems here are the poorly designed roads (ADT are too busy installing cameras in straight streches where accidents are unlikely to happen), near zero level of tarmac grip in wet roads and patched roads which force you to drive in the middle of the road in order to prevent our expensive cars to split in two. Try braking abroad in the rain and then try it in Malta. Facts speak better than words and it is very comfortable to always blame drivrs and the driving skills of the Maltese. Not even our new main roads (s.a the zebbug/st pauls bypasses etc) can be compared to those in the EU let alone roads like that in Zejtun. Shame on ADT and bigger shame to who is responsible overall. We have 3rd world country roads.

Phil Pryce

Aug 29th 2009, 12:05

Speed cameras on main routes were supposed to be for safety reasons, not cash cows. So, if safety was the primary concern, why were speed camers not put on this notorious stretch of road?

A. Saliba

Aug 29th 2009, 12:02

vfarrugia, are you saying people should wait until they're 50 years old or older to drive a sports car? If anything, powerful cars are safer because it takes less time to overtake and less time to reach the average speed if exiting from a side street for example. In this particular accident the car was a Toyota Starlet, which is one of the slowest cars in the world, unless it was the Glanza version, which isn't particularly fast either, not by today's standards.

And engine size is not directly proportional to power either, as you seemingly assume. A Smart Roadstar for instance has a 0.8 liter engine but it's not exactly slow.

Galea. L

Aug 29th 2009, 11:55

A. Saliba
That's how roads should be. Wide enough for persons to overtake safely and not having to swallow all the black fumes driving very slowly after buses, trucks etc. but the idiots who design our roads are making them one lane and where the road is wide enough narrowing them by making a jumbo landing strip in the middle like in H'Attard.

Bill Wiltshire

Aug 29th 2009, 11:40

For a tiny Island this is a very freightening news and very sad at the same time, but i daresay after a few weeks people will get back to their old habits and continue to take risks, especially overtaking on narrow Maltese and Gozitan roads especially, they are not only inviting an early Grave but also risking the lives of others on the road, I have never seen so many drivers especially females driving like maniacs, chatting at the same time also using a mobile is a sheer *Death Wish* and suicidel*. I am English living in Gozo and this sort of driving is enough for us to move out, we are not moaning its for your own good, as in contrast our roads in Britian are much better then these roads, also much wider and properly surfaced in most areas. Think i say before you say goodbye for ever. For the unfortunate 3 young couples -R.I.P and i hope the driver of the heavy lorry will in time come to terms with this tragic accident.

vfarrugia

Aug 29th 2009, 11:22

In my opinion, there should be a regulation whereby new drivers, i.e. those with less than 5 years at the wheel, are not allowed to drive cars with an engine of more than 1.0l, those drivers with more than 5 years experience, but less than 10 years can drive a car with less that 1.3l, and so on. This will preclude the young and daring from killing themselves and others while behind the wheel of a powerful vehicle in a public road.

Those drivers, who still insist on driving a powerful engine despite their lack of experience, would be able to do so at the Hal Far track, without insurance, at their own risk.

A. Saliba

Aug 29th 2009, 11:02

The best temporary measure would be to put a central strip in place. The best long-term plan would be to widen it into a dual-carriageway to allow for safe overtaking. The same applies for the Coast Road, St Andrew's Road, and the Marsascala bypass (which unfortunately is being rebuilt into a one-lane.)

Joseph Galea

Aug 29th 2009, 10:40

"The main problem was that the road was long, so people stepped on the accelerator."

This is not a problem of the road but a problem of the drivers who do so.

victor pulis

Aug 29th 2009, 10:34

Reminds me of xatt ir-risq in Vittoriosa where a number of people lost their lives by falling with their cars into the sea from the ramp used by the then Sicily/Malta ferry Tirrenia lines.
After several tragedies a barrier was placed across the ramp. A half hour job at the most.

emanuel muscat

Aug 29th 2009, 10:29

May the victims rest in peace. A prayer for them is solicited please. But it is a shame that according to authorities an installation of a speed camera in Tal barrani seemed a priority!!!!! Ghax tahleb. Ahfrilhom ghax ma jafux x qed jaghmlu. The area near Lasco has also to be organiised for the sake of safety.